Conveyer mechanism for spring cambering machines



G. R. REED Oct. 28, 1952 CONVEYER MECHANISM FOR SPRING CAMBERING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1k Filed Dec. 12, 1946 oom Oct. 28, 1952 G. R. REED coNvEYER MECHANISM FOR SPRING CAMBERING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.

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"* Geo s m, e m n CONVEYER MECHANISM FOR SPRING CAMBERING MACHINES G. R. REED Oct. 28, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec.

Geo BY Patented Oct. 28, .1952

UNITED ISTATES .Parar ortica CONVEYER MECHANISMFOR SPRING CAMBERING MACHINES George R. Reed, Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., vas'- signor to Eaton Manufacturing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporationoi'l Ohio l p Application December 12, 194,6,.seria1No. 715,747

.ly deposited in Va heatingfurnace they -arev fed therethrough 4and delivered therefrom to a cambering die and thence-cast into a quenching tank for *heat treatment thereof, all automatically .and in properly 4timed-sequencel Heretofore in the production of cambered leaf springs and especially With'regards to the combined cambering and "heat treatment of leaf vsprings it has been customary Vto perform almost all the steps incident thereto by manual means,

that 4the springs 'are manually'placed in the heating furnace, and manually extracted therefrom and placed in the forming ldies for the cambering thereof prior to the `'quen'c'zhing of same. The present machine through the incorporation of ingenious cam, `gearing and leverage mechanism has entirely' eliminated the manual work heretofore required vwith the exception of the placing of the spring leaves in the furnace thereby providing'for-the more efficient, economical and improvedquality of production-of cambered andiheat treated Ileafsprings.

An object of the invention is the provision of Another object-of the invention is the -provi- Y' sion of means :for automatically extracting 4`heatled leaf :springs ffroma heatingfurnace and immediately delivering them to aforming die for the l'cambering thereo'f.- I

Another `obj ectof =theinvention is-the provision of means for .automatically 'transporting leaf springs through Aa-ffurnace operating at elevated temperatures and iin proper parallel alignment, extracting them from the furnace in predetermined timed arrangement and then automatically delivering same to a y'forming die for the carnicering thereof. 'j f A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine for cambering and heat treating leaf springs comprising means forproperly eedingthe springs through an elevated temperature furnace, Vmeans-for extracting the springs from the furnace and-meansfor delivering said extracted springs to -a forming die, said means ,6 zClaims. (Cl. 13S-221) and die all being automatically operated in timed sequence.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will appear from the following description taken inconnection with the drawings, forming a part of the specification; and in which:

Fig. 1 'is a fragmentary partially cross-sectionalized perspective view of an automatic combination heat treating and cambering machine for vehicle. leaf springs.

Fig. -2 is a cross sectional vievrtaken substantiallyinr av vertical plane passing `through the center of the machine along the length thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the cam operation for Athe lifting bar.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryvievv ofthe vcam mechanism 'for the axial moving bar.

Fig. 5 is va sectional View illustrating fthe leverage mechanism of the lifting bar.

Fig. '6 is a diagrammatic view showing the switch mechanism for controlling the operation cal means for the heat treating and cambering of vehicle leaf springs, as taught bythe instant invention, it has :become possible' to producehigher quality leaf springs .in a quicker, more efcient and -*economical manner. y

The instant machine' comprises primarily a heating furnace having a movable track means therein for .transporting the springs through the furnace from theirpoint of deposit tothe furnace exit in parallel 'alignment' such that the springs are maintained :perpendicular to the side walls of the furnace Ainthe'ir travel through the furnace and are Vso positioned'at the lexit from the furnace, means for extracting or unloading 'the Vsprings from the furnace, means for ydeliver'- ing the'springs upon extraction from lthe `vfurnace to ya forming diefor cambering the springs and means forejecting the camberedsprings from-'the die into an oil quenching tankto thereby affect a heat treatment thereof, saidtracle, unloading and delivery means, and forming die loeing operable automatically in relatively timed sequence. Referring .to the drawings for more specific details of theinvention itfrepresentsgenerally-a combined apparatus for. the :cambering and heat treatment of A'leaf springs for vehicles comprising af'heating furnace l2, a cambering or forming die dit, an :oil .-quenchtanki6, a Yconveyor means yit arranged in the furnace for transporting the springs through the furnace in proper parallel alignment, a means 26 for unloading the springs from the furnace, mechanism 22 for moving or delivering the springs from the exit of the furnace to the die i4 after they have been removed from the furnace, and motor driven means providing for the automatic sequential timed operation of the die |4, conveyor |8, unloader means 20 and delivery means 22.

The furnace 2 may be of the conventional gas burning type and as here shown by the drawings includes a pair of fire brick side walls 23, top wall 24 wherein the gas burners, not shown, are adapted to be supported, and a bottom apertured wall 26 and provides a chamber 28 extending throughout the length of the furnace communicating with openings 30 and 32 respectively at the entrance to an exit from the furnace. The furnace proper is supported upon a base framework 34.

The conveyor means |'8 is arranged in the furnace between the side walls 22 and comprises a spring supporting lifting beam mechanism 36 and a spring travel or axially moving beam mechanism 38. The mechanism 36 includes a pair of parallel horizontally arranged beams or bars 40 upon which the beams are supported and lifted Y while in the furnace, said bars being supported on a framework 42 and adapted to be moved by a plurality of vertically disposed rods 44 having one end affixed to the framework 42 and its free end journaled for sliding engagement in bearings 48 mounted on base 34. The rods 44 are adapted to be actuated by mechanism, to be later described, through a series of links and levers including a bell crank 50 pivoted upon a rotatable shaft 52, having a cam roller 54 mounted at the extremity of one of its arms 56 and a link 58 pivoted upon the extremity of its other arm 60, said link 58 in turn being secured at itsother end to a horizontally arranged draft bar 62. The draft bar 62 is connected through a series of axially spaced bell cranks 64 pivoted upon base 42 Vand including arms 66 and 68, arms 68 being pivotally secured to the draft bar and arms 68 being linked to the rods 44 by links 16. It is to be understood that a like arrangement of rods 44, links 16, bell cranks 64, draft bar 62, and bell cranks 50 are provided on either side of the machine. v

The travel beam mechanism 38 comprises a pair of substantially horizontal beams or bars 12 arranged in the furnace parallel to one another and to the bars or beams 40 between beams 49. The bars 12 have a plurality of equidistantly spaced short ears I4 on the upper side thereof arranged perpendicularly to the bars 12 and side Walls of the furnace such that the space between each set of the ears is predetermined in size to accommodate the springs to be conveyed through the furnace and hold them therebetween perpendicularly to the bars and furnace side walls. The bars 'I2 are supported in their horizontal position by a plurality of vertical supporting bars or levers 16 adapted to provide for a rocking longitudinal motion of bars 12, said levers being pivoted intermediate their length at portion 18 upon framework 34 and having ends 80 thereof connected to horizontally movable draft bars 82 arranged on opposite sides of the furnace underneath bars 12. The draft bars 82 are adapted to be actuated by way of links 84 connecting the bars to bell crank levers 86. Bell crank levers 86 similar to bell crank levers 50 are journaled in- 4 termediate arms l88 and 90 thereof upon shaft 52, the extremity of arms 90 being connected to links 84 and the arms 88 having rollers 92 mounted at the extremity thereof the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

Because of the structure provided by mechanisms 36 and 38 of conveyor |8it ispossible to operate the furnace |2 at elevated temperatures thereby providing for the effective heating of the springs as they pass through the furnace.

, The spring pushing or delivery means 22 comprises a plurality of retrieving arms 94 afxed at spaced points upon a longitudinally extended bar 96 and a plurality of delivery arms 98 affixed similarly as arms 94 upon a bar |00 extending parallel to bar 96 and spaced a short distance therefrom. The arms 98 extend from bar |00 oppositely disposed to arms 94. The bars 9E and |00 are journaled at the extremities thereof upon carriages |02 mounted for movement upon cross bars or tracks |04 arranged at the opposite sides of furnace exit opening 32 supported between the furnace |2 and a supporting frame work |06 mounted upon tank I6. The bars 96 and |00 have intermeshing gears |08 and ||0 respectively mounted at the ends thereof the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

The carriages |02-each comprise end plates I l2 and ||4 respectively having mounted therebetween a pair of rollers ||6 for travel upon track |04, and a spring pressed roller mechanism ||8 bearing upon the underside of track |04 opposite from rollers H6.

The arms 94 comprise a substantially, horizontally extended portion |20 and a short, substantially, vertically, extended portion |22 whereas the arms 9B comprise a substantially, horizontal portion |24 and a finger mechanism |26 pivoted at the extremity thereof, said finger mechanism having a slotted portion |28 adapted to receive the springs therein during the operational function of arm 98.

Ihe gears |08 and |0 are actuated through the movement of levers |30 xedly mounted upon the ends of bar |00, said levers |30 being limited in movement through the arrangement of end stops |32 and |34 mounted upon plates ||2 adapted to be engaged by a tongue member |36 affixed to lever |30 and extending intermediate to stops |32 and |34.

The levers 30 are actuated through a series of -links and'levers, from a source of power to be later described, comprising a, rotatable shaft |38 journaled upon supporting beams |40 iixedly secured tothe framework |06 and extending over the quenchvtank, crank levers |42 secured at opposite ends of shaft |38, links |44 connecting the free ends of levers |42 with intermediate portions |46 of levers |48 having ends |50 thereof pivotally affixed upon a rotatable shaft |5| journaled on the side of the quench tank and supported on the underside of beams |40 and having their ends |52 connected by substantially, horizontally, extended links |54 to the free ends of levers |30.

A pair of slide tracks |56 are arranged in parallel extension to beams 40 and 72 between the exit from the furnace and the base portion Hi8-of a forming die |4 mounted i'lxedly upon the framework |06. The tracks |55 are supported near the opposite ends thereof upon adjustable supports I 60 and |62 respectively, support |60 being mounted upon supporting framework 34 at the furnace exit and support |62 being mounted upon the frameworkv |06 secured to the quench tank, and vare adjustable through the adjustment of the supports so Aas to .provide ifor the'properialignment ofthe .tracks relative :to the removal of the springs from the lfurnace Aand proper deliverythereof to dieu. .I l i r The spring furnace retrieving means orun'- loading means '.20 includeslever arms |50 :pivoted at their centers .upon .arms |66 'of crank levers |08 mounted for eccentric movement about the power drive Ashaft |10, arms |12 .of the crank levers being pivotally connected at their ends :to links |14 that are mounted for vpivotal motion at their other vends upon base 134 of the furnace. Arms |16 of levers |64 are adapted .topick springs from bars v|10 and deposit them upon the end Yof slide tracks .|55 .arranged inthe exit opening of theifurnace and .extension |18 .of Ylevers |64'provide for the :controlled movement of .levers |04 in being pivoted at vtheir .extremities .to .links V| 8! which .are :in turn pivoted at theirend to the uppersideof the .base 34. Y

.The spring forming or oambering .die I4 :in addition to the vbase portion |58 includes a top section |82 ,constructed -of a plurality of links |841 4pivotally joined :together .in series ,and pivotally supported at the extremities of the link mechanism upon posts |30, said lposts `being secured to a cross bar |88 arranged in parallel-relation tothe cambering die sections |50 and |82 adapted to be actuated lby a vpair of air cylinders i90 :and |2 mounted upon framework |06. .As a means for controlling the identical movement of both ends of diesection li552 the Across bar |83 thereof hassecured at the ends Athereof vertically disposed posts |S4 having gear racks ;|9S-thereon adapted to .mesh with gearsnot shown, arranged at the-end of shaft ijournaledin housing 200 mounted upon the framework 106. The section |82 of die |l| is made of linked sections to permit variations in the adjusted camber arrangement of die section |58 within predetermined limits.

Air cylinders |90 and |92 are ycontrolled .for timed relation with thev rest of the operating mechanism constituting thecomplete machine fil by way of 4a limit switch 282 arranged at the extremity of power Vshaft effective to actuate a valve mechanism 204 for .controlling the admission of air to or discharge from the cylinders |90 and |92 for the vactuation of die section |82. The power drive shaft |10 which constitutes the controlled drivemechanism for all the operation elements of the apparatus l0, is journaled at its extremities and supported .at its center upon bearings 20B mounted upon the furnace base 34. rlhe shaft |10 is driven from any suit-4 able source of power .such as `motor 2.08, shown by Fig. l, through a speed `reduction Vgear .box 2 I0, said gear box havinga chain drive connection 2|2 with the shaft |10 byway .of gearfl of gear box 2 I0 and gear 2 ljailixeduponshaft |10.

Cam mechanism 2 8 comprising external'. cams 220 adapted for operating engagement with-rollers 54 and internal cams -222 `for operatinggeengagement with .rollers 92 are xxedly secured upon drive -shaft |10 for rotation therewith effective to provide for .the proper timed relationof opern ation of the apparatus associated therewith.

The shaft |38 which is adapted to provide for the operation ofthe spring delivery means v2.2 is driven .from `the power shaft |10 :by way of .a chain drive 224 connecting ak .gear 22E .aixed to the .drive shaft |10 with thegearzifraixed to the shaft |38.

"In a normal operation the apparatus l0 wherein 6 i the motor ".2 08 has'be'en .placed in operation and the atspring leaves'230 such asshown by'Fig.

arepla'ced'upon travel beams 12 in perpendicular l arrangement to theihorizontal motion `of the beams singularly or in nested stacks of a plural quantity lbetween .adjacent ears 'i4 of the beams' 12, `.the lmotion ofthe -motor'is transmitted to drive Ashaft |10 resulting 'in the rotation thereof quent rotation of the various elements lattached thereto .motionis imparted to the various members engaged by the elements in accordance with the predetermined sequence ofo'peration of the .various :operating parts going to make up the Whole machine.

Although :all .theoperating parts are placed in timed operating motion with the rotation ofthe shaft |140, the leai'spring unloader 2t, leaf spring de1ive1'y.means.22 vand forming die id do not perform kany useful work until such time as `the springs reach :said operating station .After the fsprings are placed upon travel beams |21theyare Lpassed through the furnace by the combined vaction `of travel 'beams '12 and lifting beams from the `entrance of the furnace'to the exit thereof during which timethe'furnace is in operation aat .elevated temperatures providing forthe yproper heating ofthe springs preparatory to the cam-boring and .quenching thereof.-

Through the vrocking or pivot-al motion of travel beams 12 as .affected by theactuation' of crank-.levers 86 vfrom internal cam 222 the springs which have .been stacked uponthe travel beams at .the entrance to the furnace are'moved forward and at the point of'maXimum forward travel of Vthebeams 12 fthe lifting beams i0 are actuated in timed sequence through .the actuation of crank levers 50 thus operating-to remove the springs from the travel-beams and holding same momentarily until the vtravel beam yhas moved to its substantially 'maximum backward travel and then moving Idownwardly `until thesprings are deposited in thenext adjacent forward position between the cams on the :travel beams by the lift ing beams. rlhis forward motion process is continued with vregards to one-spring or stack of springs occupyinga single channel space between the Years onthe travel beams vuntil ythe spring or stack of springs varrives atvthe end of the lifting lbeam near the exit.t from the furnace,r at which time the unloaderfii throughv the action of arm |16 controlledby the movement of lever liiaboutshaft |12, with itsr rear extremity reaching outand lifting the spring or stack of springs from position A on `the `'beam i0 and moving in aniarcuate'path to depositlsaid spring or springs at position'B' on slideztraoks 56.

"With the spring 'inposition B `on slide tracks |56 and the vdelivery means 22 in operation through thefactuation thereof from shaft |10 by the transmission of power therefrom to shaft |38, which in turn affects Ithe-manipulation of links |54, resulting in shiftingthelevers itil` inthe direction'of the motionof the links |5i,' thelevers |30 are moved to abutment against limit stops |32 and provide for theconsequent adjustment o f .arms 9,4 and to fthey dotted `line positions shown by FijgZ. -As thecarriages l t2 are moved along tracks .|04 by the horizontal movement vof links |54 .inawdirectifontoward position B on slide 'tracks |55 th'earms remain yin an upward dottedline position until such "time `asthe movement of the carriages, arms and link reaches the furthest position in a direction of travel toward the furnace. Upon reaching Vthis position the motion of links |54 is reversed by the action of levers |48 and links |44 resulting in moving levers |30 to abutment against limit stops |34 thereby moving the arms downwardly so as to place fingers |22 of arms 94 on the side of the spring between the spring and lifting beam 40 when the spring is in position B on slide tracks |56. With the continued movement of links |54 and carriages |02 in a direction away from the furnace the fingers on arms 94 affect a shoving action upon the springs and-provide for the movement thereof to position C on the tracks |56. At the same time that the ngers of arms 94 engage the spring at position B the slotted portions |28 of fingers I 26 on arms 98 receive the spring at position C and while one spring or stack of springs is moved by fingers |22 from portion B to C, the fingers |24 on arms 98 move the spring or stack of springs from position C past the end of tracks |56 and deposit same on the die section |58 of forming die I4.

The die section |82 of die I4 operates in timed sequence immediately after the placing of the spring or stack of Springs on die section |58 through the actuation of the air cylinders |92 and 94 as controlled by valve 254, said valve in turn being controlled for operation from a switching mechanism actuated by the shaft |10.

Fingers |26 in addition to moving the spring or stack of springs from position C to the die section |58 operate through the abutment of the end of fingers |26 against the preceding spring or springs in the die to shove the cambered springs from the die into the quenching tank |6 for the heat treatment thereof.

It is a very essential characteristic of this machine that a proper timing cycle is maintained providing for the production of cambered springs in an economical expeditious manner while at the same time providing for proper hardness and -spring life. By automatically controlling the timing and operational functions of the various limits of the machine the springs produced thereby are practically identical in all respects.

While this invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments, the principle involved is susceptible of numerous other applications that will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. The invention, therefore, is limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Mechanism for conveying articles between two given points comprising a slide track extending between the points, and a carriage movable in the direction of the tracks comprising a pair of gear intermeshing pivotal arms extending substantially in opposite directions to one another and lying substantially parallel to the slide track movable toward and away from the track, one of said arms having a pusher element at its free end and the other arm having a finger element freely pivoted at its free end and a single means for simultaneously moving the carriage parallel to the track and pivoting the arms.

2. Conveyor mechanism comprising a track along which the article to be conveyed is moved, and a carriage suspended for movement along a path parallel to the track comprising a pair of arms disposed in opposite directions to one another substantially parallel to the track and pivotally geared together for synchronous substantially vertical motion toward and away from the track, one of said arms having a pusher element at its'free end and the other arm having a finger element freely pivoted at its free end, means for actuating the carriage and simultaneously pivoting the arms and means for limiting movement of the arms toward and away from the track.

3. Mechanism for conveying an article during the manufacture thereof from one stage of operation to another comprising a track upon which the article is moved, a track suspended in substantially parallel relation to and disposed vertically away from the first track, a carriage mounted for movement along the second track having a pair of arms pivoted therein for movement toward and away from the second track, article engaging means on the free end of each of the arms, gear intermeshing means on the pivot axis of the arms, means connected -to the axis of one arm and engageable with the carriage for simultaneously pivoting the arms and moving the carriage along the track, andmeans for limiting the pivotal movement of the arms.

4. Mechanism for conveying an article from one stage of operation thereon to a subsequent stage of operation to be performed thereon comprising a pair of tracks extending between the operation stages along which the article is slid, a second set of tracks extending parallel to and spaced apart from the first set of tracks, and carriages carried by and movable along the second set of tracks comprising sets of oppositely disposed arms pivotally mounted thereon having geared relation therebetween and ngers at the extremities thereof adapted to engage and move the articles to be conveyed along the track, and means for moving the carriage and simultaneously rotating the gears so as to affect pivotal movement of the arms toward and away from the first set of tracks.

5. Mechanism for conveying articles between two stations in parallel array comprising horizontally arranged walking beam means for conveying slender articles in parallel array from one spaced point to another in a horizontal manner from one end to the other end thereof, an articulated arm means for retrieving the articles moved to one end of the walking beam means and depositing same at a point beyond the end of the walking beam from which retrieved and maintained in parallel array to the articles on the beam, horizontal slide means on which the retrieved articles are deposited and adapted to be moved, and recipro-cated arm means for sliding the articles along the slide means in parallel array from the deposited end to the point of discharge therefrom at its other horizontally disposed end.

6. Mechanism for conveying articles between two stations in parallel array comprising horizontally arranged walking beam means for conveying slender articles in parallel array from one spaced point to another in a horizontal manner from one end to the other end thereof, an articulated arm means for retrieving the articles moved to one end of the walking beam means and depositing same at a point beyond the end of the walking beam from which retrieved and maintained in parallel array to the articles on the beam, horizontal slide means on which the retrieved articles are deposited, reciprocated armsfor sliding the articles along the slide means in parallel array from the deposited end to the point of discharge therefrom at its other horizontally disposed end, and a power driven shaft interconnected to the Walking beam means and articulated and reoiprocated means for the simultaneous and proper sequential timed operation thereof.

GEORGE R. REED.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Birnstock Nov. 7, 1922 Buckley Feb. 9, 1926 Ekvall Feb. 14, 1928 Miller Mar. 10, 1931 Sheehan et al July 12, 1932 Freese Nov. 21, 1933 Moore Feb. 12, 1935 Menough Apr. 13, 1937 Dahlrnan Oct. 8, 1940 Stevenson May 27, 1941 

